Olympic Gold Medalist in Women's Speed Skating to visit GCC's Club Fair on Tuesday
A big part of what makes Genesee Community College special are the 50 or more student clubs available to enrich any student's college experience.
On Tuesday, Feb. 13, each of the student clubs will be showcased at the annual Club Fair. Each club will have representatives at booths from 11:30 a.m. 'til 2 p.m. in the Batavia Campus Forum. All GCC students are encouraged to visit the club booths, ask questions, join the clubs and "Go for the Gold"!
Speaking of the Gold, this year, there will be something a little extra at the Club Fair. GCC's Multicultural Communications Club will host Olympic Gold Medalist Cathy Turner! Turner, in photo above, will be at the Club Fair to meet the students, sign autographs and pose for photos!
Turner is a two-time Gold Medalist in short track speed skating (1992 and 1994), and a Silver and Bronze Medalist as anchor of the 3000m Relay Team. She is one of only two people ever to win Gold Medals in consecutive Winter Olympic Games. With a total of four medals, she ranks fourth for the most medals ever won by a Winter Olympian.
Multi-talented and outgoing, Turner enjoys combining her Olympic success and her amazing story to motivate people of all ages whenever she has the opportunity. Nine years after retiring from her sport to pursue a professional singing career, Turner returned to speed skating and competed in the 1992 Olympic Games. Her childhood dream of winning an Olympic Gold Medal was now within her grasp.
Critics scoffed at the notion that a woman in her 20s could overcome such a tremendous setback, especially being away from the sport so long. Turner proved them wrong by making her dream a reality, winning both Gold and Silver medals in the 1992 Winter Games in Albertville, France. Draped in the American flag, Turner took her much-deserved "Victory Lap" with the whole world watching.
She retired immediately after the 1992 Games, only to make a stunning comeback just seven months prior to the 1994 Winter Games in Lillehammer, Norway. Once again, her amazing determination and strong will prevailed as she added two more medals to her collection -- a Gold and Bronze. Once again, Turner challenged herself and came out of retirement in 1998 and earned fifth place in the 3000m Relay in her third Olympics in Nagano, Japan.
Turner wrote a chapter in a book entitled, "Awaken the Olympian Within." Her chapter is entitled "See it, believe it, be it." To Turner, "See it, believe it, be it" were essential steps in fulfilling her lifelong dream.
Turner now works as a database administrator at PAYCHEX in Rochester and focuses on her two daughters Britney, 18 and Bayli, 17. Like their Mom, both are very athletic and have participated in many sports including Tae Kwon Do (with Mom), skiing, tennis, gymnastics and of course, speed skating. Bayli is currently a level-10 (out of 10) gymnast, which now has Turner traveling to meets on weekends just like her own parents did for her. Her daughter, Britney, was on the high school tennis team since middle school and is now a sophomore at Ithaca College with a double major, Film Production and German.
